Exercise grip

ABSTRACT

An exercise grip is disclosed. The exercise grip includes a protective portion and a wrist strap connected to a wrist end of the protective portion. The protective portion has a finger end in which three or four finger holes are defined. The protective portion also has a palm portion that extends from the finger holes to the wrist end. The protective portion varies in width from the wrist end to the finger end. The protective portion can be formed to cover an ulnar portion of a wrist when placed on a hand.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of, and claims priorityto, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/594,581, U.S. Pat. No.10,835,804, entitled “EXERCISE GRIP,” filed on Oct. 7, 2019, which is acontinuation application of, and claims priority to, U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/589,354, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,576,356, entitled“EXERCISE GRIP,” filed on May 8, 2017, which application is acontinuation application of, and claims priority to, U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/644,512, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,643,073, entitled“EXERCISE GRIP,” filed on Mar. 11, 2015, which application claims thebenefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Patent Application No.61/951,872, entitled “EXERCISE GRIP,” filed Mar. 12, 2014. Thedisclosure of the foregoing applications are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

This specification relates to an exercise grip. There are many differentexercises performed on horizontal bars and gymnastics rings. Duringthese exercises skin that is in contact with the bars or ringsexperience friction that can lead to injury.

SUMMARY

In general, one innovative aspect of the subject matter described inthis specification can be embodied in an exercise grip that includes awrist strap; and a protective portion connected to the wrist strap at awrist end of the protective portion, a finger end of the protectiveportion having three finger holes defined therein the protective portionhaving a length that extends from the finger end to the wrist end and awidth that varies along the length of the protective portion, whereinthe wrist end has a first width that covers an ulnar side of a wrist andis larger than a second width of the finger end, and wherein a width ofthe protective portion that is between the finger end and the wrist endhas a third width that is smaller than the second width. The first widthof the wrist end can be larger than the third width of the finger end.

These and other embodiments can each optionally include one or more ofthe following features. The three finger holes can include a middlefinger hole, a ring finger hole and a pinky finger hole, and wherein themiddle finger hole, ring finger hole, and pinky finger hole are definedat locations at which a middle finger, ring finger, and pinky finger arerespectively received when the exercise grip is placed on a hand.

The middle finger hole can be at a first distance from the wrist end,the ring finger hole is at a second distance from the wrist end, and thelittle finger hole is at a third distance from the wrist end. The firstdistance can be larger than the second distance and the second distanceis larger than the third distance.

The protective portion can be a continuous flexible material. Theflexible material can be at least one of leather, neoprene, or rubber.

Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding methods formaking an exercise grip. Methods can include the actions of forming aprotective portion of an exercise grip, wherein the protective portionis formed to have a wrist end and a finger end, the finger end havingthree finger holes defined therein and the protective portion having alength that extends from the finger end to the wrist end, the protectiveportion having a width that varies along the length of the protectiveportion, wherein the wrist end has a first width that covers an ulnarside of a wrist and is larger than a second width of the finger end, andwherein a width of the protective portion between the finger end and thewrist end has a third width that is smaller than the second width; andconnecting the protective portion to a wrist strap.

These and other embodiments can each optionally include one or more ofthe following features. Forming the protective portion can includeforming the three finger holes in the finger end, the three finger holescomprising a middle finger hole, a ring finger hole, and a pinky fingerhole.

Forming the three finger holes can include forming the middle fingerhole, ring finger hole, and pinky finger hole at locations at which amiddle finger, ring finger, and pinky finger are respectively receivedwhen the exercise grip is placed on a hand.

Forming the three finger holes can include forming the middle fingerhole at a first distance from the wrist end; forming the ring fingerhole at a second distance from the wrist end; and forming the littlefinger hole at a third distance from the wrist end. The first distancecan be larger than the second distance and the second distance is largerthan the third distance. The first width of the wrist end can be largerthan the third width of the finger end.

Forming the protective portion can include forming the protectiveportion from a continuous piece of flexible material. The flexiblematerial can be at least one of leather, neoprene, or rubber.

Methods can optionally include forming a fourth finger hole at alocation of the protective portion at which an index finger is receivedwhen the grip is placed on a hand.

Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in thisspecification can be embodied in an exercise grip that includes a wriststrap; and a protective portion connected to the wrist strap at a wristend of the protective portion, a finger end of the protective portionhaving three finger holes defined therein the protective portion havinga length that extends from the finger end to the wrist end and a widththat varies along the length of the protective portion.

Another innovative aspect of the subject matte described in thisspecification can be embodied in an exercise grip including a wriststrap; and a protective portion connected to the wrist strap at a wristend of the protective portion, a finger end of the protective portionhaving four finger holes defined therein the protective portion having alength that extends from the finger end to the wrist end and a widththat varies along the length of the protective portion. The four fingerholes can be formed at locations at which an index finger, a middlefinger, a ring finger, and a pinky finger are respectively received whenthe grip is placed on a hand.

Particular embodiments of the subject matter described in thisspecification can be implemented so as to realize one or more of thefollowing advantages. Hand and wrist protection is provided by theexercise grip when worn on a hand. The protection provided can includeprotecting the hand and wrist from injury caused by friction whenperforming exercises on horizontal bars, pull up bars, and/or gymnasticsrings. Gripping ability of a person wearing the exercise grip isincreased by covering portions of the hand that contact bars or ringsduring exercise.

The details of one or more embodiments of the subject matter describedin this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and thedescription below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of thesubject matter will become apparent from the description, the drawings,and the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a drawing of an example exercise grip on a hand.

FIG. 2 is another drawing of an example exercise grip.

FIG. 3 is a drawing of an example strap assembly for an exercise grip.

FIG. 4 is another drawing of an example exercise grip.

FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating use of an example exercise grip.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of an example process for making an exercisegrip.

FIG. 7 is another drawings of an example exercise grip.

FIG. 8 is another drawing of an example exercise grip on a hand.

Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicatelike elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a drawing of an example exercise grip 10 on a hand 12. Thegrip 10 is formed to protect the hand 12 and wrist 18 of an individualwearing the grip 10, and enhances the individual's grip on a gymnasticsbar or rings. As described in more detail below, the grip 10 includesthree finger holes that receive a middle finger 16 a, ring finger 16 b,and pinky finger 16 c of the hand 12 when the grip 10 is worn. In someimplementations, the index finger 16 d and thumb 16 e of the hand 12remain uncovered when the grip 10 is worn. In some implementations, theexercise grip can include an index finger hole, as described in moredetail below.

FIG. 2 is another drawing of an example exercise grip 10. The grip 10includes a wrist strap 14 and a protective portion 20. The protectiveportion 20 has a finger end 22 and a wrist end 24 that is connected tothe wrist strap 14.

The grip 10 has three finger holes 26 a, 26 b, and 26 c defined therein.The finger holes 26 a, 26 b, and 26 c are defined at the finger end 22of the protective portion 20. In some implementations, finger hole 26 ais a middle finger hole that is defined at a location of the protectiveportion 20 at which a middle finger of a hand is received when the grip10 is placed on the hand. The finger hole 26 b is a ring finger holethat is defined at a location of the protective portion at which a ringfinger of the hand is received when the grip 10 is placed on the hand.The finger hole 26 c can be a pinky finger hole that is defined at alocation of the protective portion at which a pinky finger of the handis received with the grip 10 is placed on the hand.

The protective portion 20 can be formed from a continuous piece offlexible material. For example, the protective portion 20 can be made ofa high-grade leather or other strong and flexible material allowingappropriate friction and protection. In some implementations, theprotective portion 20 can be made of neoprene or a rubber material.

The grip 10 includes a wrist strap 14 for securing the grip 10 about thewrist of an individual. The wrist strap 14 includes a closure strap 30,a cuff 38, and an open loop 32 or wring. In some implementations, theclosure strap 30 is located on a side of the grip 10 that will be on aradial side of the wrist when the grip 10 is placed on a hand and theloop 32 is located on a side of the grip 10 that will be on an ulnarside of a wrist when the grip 10 is placed on the hand.

The closure strap 30 can include a hook and loop fastener patch 34 whichis adapted to be connected to a corresponding hook and loop fastenerpatch 36 secured to the portion of the cuff 38 or another portion of thewrist end of the protective portion 20.

As shown in FIG. 3, the closure strap 30 can be fed through the openloop 32 and turned back onto itself to permit the grip 10 to beadjustably fastened to the individual's wrist upon mating the hook andloop fastener patch 34 with the hook and loop fastener patch 36.

FIG. 4 is another drawing of an example exercise grip 10, and showsvarious example lengths and widths of the protective portion 20 of thegrip 10. In some implementations, the three finger holes 26 a, 26 b, and26 c are formed at different distances from the wrist end 24. Forexample, the finger hole 26 a can be formed at a first distance L1 fromthe wrist end 24, the finger hole 26 b can be formed at a seconddistance L2 from the wrist end 24, and the finger hole 26 c can beformed at a third distance L3 from the wrist end 24. In someimplementations, the second distance L2 is smaller than the firstdistance L1 and the third distance L3 is less than the second distanceL2. Note that other lengths can be used.

As illustrated by FIG. 4, the length of the protective portion (e.g., asmeasured from the wrist end 24) varies along the width of the protectiveportion. For example, the protective portion 10 has a length of L4 nearthe finger hole 26 a and smaller length of L5 near the finger hole 26 c.These varying lengths permit the proper articulation of the hand duringexercise.

In some implementations, the protective portion 20 has a width thatvaries along the length of the protective portion 20. For example, thewrist end 24 can have a first width W1 that covers an ulnar side of awrist when the grip 10 is worn. The finger end of the grip 10 can have asecond width W2 that is smaller than the width W1 of the wrist end 24.The protective portion 20 can also have a third width W3 that is smallerthan the width W2. Forming the protective portion 20 to have a width W1that is larger than each of W2 and W3 allows the wrist end 24 to protectthe ulnar side of the wrist, while the width W2 of the finger endpermits adequate finger extension and protects the palm immediatelyunder the middle, ring, and pinky fingers. Making the width W3 betweenthe finger end and the wrist end 24 smaller than W1 and W2 increasescomfort of the grip 10 and facilitates articulation of the hand.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the grip 10 is shown donned on the hand 12 ofan individual and being utilized to grip an object, such as a gymnasticsring or bar 40. The construction of the grip 10 permits the individualto grip the ring or bar 40 without having to expend unnecessary energy,while also protecting the portions of the individual's hand 12 and wrist18 most susceptible to injury, e.g., the area of the palm directly underthe middle, ring and little fingers, the middle of the palm and theradial side of the wrist 18.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of an example process 60 for making an exercisegrip. In some implementations, the process includes forming a protectiveportion of an exercise grip (62). The protective portion can be formed,for example, from a continuous piece of flexible material. For example,leather, neoprene, or rubber can be used to form the protective portion.

The protective portion of the exercise grip can be formed, for example,to have a wrist end and a finger end. The finger end can have threefinger holes defined therein, as discussed above, or four finger holesdefined therein as discussed in more detail below with reference to FIG.7. For example, the finger end can be formed to have a middle fingerhole, a ring finger hole, and a pinky finger hole. The locations of themiddle finger hole, ring finger hole, and pinky finger hole can beformed at locations of the protective portion at which a middle finger,ring finger, and pinky finger will be respectively received when theprotective portion is placed on a hand. When the finger end is formed tohave four holes defined therein, the fourth hold can be formed at alocation of the protective portion at which an index finger will bereceived when the protective portion is placed on the hand.

In some implementations, the middle finger hole is formed at a firstdistance from the wrist end, the ring finger hole is formed at a seconddistance from the wrist end, and the pinky finger hole is formed at athird distance from the wrist end. As discussed above, in three fingerhole implementations, the middle finger hole can be at a largestdistance from the wrist end (e.g., as measured to the center of themiddle finger hole), the ring finger can be at a second largest distancefrom the wrist end (e.g., as measured from the center of the ring fingerhole), and the pinky finger hole can be at the shortest distance fromthe wrist end (e.g., relative to the locations of the middle finger holeand the ring finger hole). In four finger hole implementations, theindex finger hole can be further from the wrist end than the middlefinger hole. Alternatively, the index finger hole can be formed at asame distance from the wrist end as the middle finger hole or formed ata distance from the wrist end that is between the distance from thewrist end of the middle finger hole and the ring finger hole.

The length of the protective portion extends, for example, from thefinger end to the wrist end, and the width of the protective portion canbe formed to vary along the length of the protective portion. Forexample, the protective portion can be formed to have a widest width atthe wrist end. The finger end can have a width that is smaller than thewidth of the wrist end. The protective portion can be formed such thatthe width of the protective portion can vary between the wrist end andthe finger end, with at least one portion of the protective portionhaving another width that is smaller than the width of the finger end(e.g., as measured at the pinky hole) and smaller than the width of thewrist end.

The process can also include attaching a wrist strap to the protectiveportion (64). A wrist strap similar to that discussed above with respectto FIG. 3 can be attached to the protective portion. The wrist strap canbe attached, for example, by sewing, gluing, or otherwise attaching thewrist strap to the protective portion.

FIG. 7 is a drawing of another example exercise grip 70. The exercisegrip 70 is similar to the exercise grips discussed above, but includes afourth finger hole 72 that is formed at a location of the protectiveportion 74 at which the index finger of a hand will be received when theexercise grip 70 is worn. As illustrated by FIG. 7, the length of theprotective portion 74 from the wrist end 75 can vary with the distanceof the various finger holes. For example, the length of the protectiveportion 74 corresponding to the index finger hole is longer than thelength of the protective portion 74 corresponding to the pinky fingerhole 76. As illustrated, the exercise grip 70 also includes a middlefinger hole 78 and a ring finger hole 79, which are both formed in amanner similar to that described above.

FIG. 8 is another drawing of an example exercise grip 80 on a hand 81.As shown in FIG. 8, the grip 80 has four finger holes through which theindex finger 82 a, middle finger 82 b, ring finger 82 c, and pinkyfinger 82 d are inserted. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the grip 80 does notinclude a thumb hole, and the thumb 82 e remains outside of the grip 80.The grip 80 includes a protective portion 83, which is wider at a fingerend 84 of the grip than the width of the wrist end 85 of the grip.

Particular embodiments of the subject matter have been described. Otherembodiments are within the scope of the following claims. In some cases,the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different orderand still achieve desirable results.

1. (canceled)
 2. An exercise grip, comprising: a wrist strap; and aprotective portion that has a wrist end and an opposite end, wherein:the wrist end of the protective portion is located closer to the wriststrap than the opposite end; the opposite end of the protective portionhas a given width that extends from a first side of the protectiveportion to a second side of the protective portion; widths of theprotective portion differ at different distances from the wrist end; aparticular width of the protective portion at a particular location thatis between wrist strap and the opposite end is smaller than a firstwidth of the protective portion at a first location that is between theparticular location and the wrist strap; and the protective portion isconfigured to cover a portion of a palm of a hand and expose a backsideportion of the hand between a pinky finger and a wrist.
 3. The exercisegrip of claim 2, wherein the wrist strap comprises a ring on one side ofthe exercise grip, and a strap portion that extends away from theprotective portion on an opposite side of the exercise grip.
 4. Theexercise grip of claim 3, wherein the wrist end of the protectiveportion that is between the wrist strap and the particular location hasa first side that extends further away from a center axis than a secondside of the wrist end of the protective portion that is between thewrist strap and the particular location, and wherein the center axis (i)extends from the wrist end to the finger end and (ii) passes through amidpoint of the narrowest part of the protective portion.
 5. Theexercise grip of claim 4, wherein the ring is on the first side, and thestrap portion is on the second side.
 6. The exercise grip of claim 4,wherein the protective portion has a first length between the wrist endand the finger end on the first side, and a second length between thewrist end and the finger end on the second side.
 7. The exercise grip ofclaim 6, wherein the first length is shorter than the second length. 8.The exercise grip of claim 2, wherein the protective portion is acontinuous flexible material.
 9. The exercise grip of claim 8, whereinthe flexible material is at least one of leather, neoprene, or rubber.10. The exercise grip of claim 2, wherein the protective portion hasfinger holes defined therein.
 11. A method of forming an exercise grip,comprising: forming a wrist strap; forming a protective portion that hasa wrist end and an opposite end, wherein: the wrist end of theprotective portion is located closer to the wrist strap than theopposite end; the opposite end of the protective portion has a givenwidth that extends from a first side of the protective portion to asecond side of the protective portion; widths of the protective portiondiffer at different distances from the wrist end; a particular width ofthe protective portion at a particular location that is between wriststrap and the opposite end is smaller than a first width of theprotective portion at a first location that is between the particularlocation and the wrist strap; and the protective portion is configuredto cover a portion of a palm of a hand and expose a backside portion ofthe hand between a pinky finger and a wrist.
 12. The method of claim 11,wherein the wrist strap comprises a ring on one side of the exercisegrip, and a strap portion that extends away from the protective portionon an opposite side of the exercise grip.
 13. The method of claim 12,wherein the wrist end of the protective portion that is between thewrist strap and the particular location is formed to have a first sidethat extends further away from a center axis than a second side of thewrist end of the protective portion that is formed between the wriststrap and the particular location, and wherein the center axis (i)extends from the wrist end to the finger end and (ii) passes through amidpoint of the narrowest part of the protective portion.
 14. The methodof claim 13, wherein the ring is on the first side, and the strapportion is on the second side.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein theprotective portion is formed to have a first length between the wristend and the finger end on the first side, and formed to have a secondlength between the wrist end and the finger end on the second side. 16.The method of claim 15, wherein the first length is shorter than thesecond length.
 17. The method of claim 11, wherein the protectiveportion is formed from a continuous flexible material.
 18. The method ofclaim 17, wherein the flexible material is at least one of leather,neoprene, or rubber.
 19. The method of claim 11, wherein the protectiveportion is formed to have finger holes defined therein.